


Skin On Skin, Hearts Laid Bare

by Luluthechoosingcrow



Category: Greta Van Fleet (Band)
Genre: Camping, Cold Weather, Cuddling & Snuggling, Dreams, Flirting, Ice Cream, Ice Skating, Intimacy, Kissing, Literal Sleeping Together, M/M, Masturbation, Mutual Pining, Nature, Neck Kissing, Sharing Body Heat, Sharing a Bed, Slow Burn, Slow Dancing, Some Humor, Swimming, Voyeurism
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-10-29
Updated: 2020-02-26
Packaged: 2021-01-06 08:02:21
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 9,754
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21223265
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Luluthechoosingcrow/pseuds/Luluthechoosingcrow
Summary: Summary (of Whole Series): They started off cuddling as a necessity in chilly tents and cramped car rides, but it eventually became something much, much more. Sam finds that there isn't a safer place in the world, no where else he'd rather be, than when he's wrapped up in his best friend's strong, caring arms. And Danny, he just can't get enough of the feeling of  Sam's silky smooth skin spread out underneath his hands. A chronicle of Samuel Kiszka and Daniel Wagner's budding love.Edit: yes, I changed the summary, sorry if it throws ya off





	1. Autumnal Camping is the Perfect Oppurtunity for Snuggles

**Author's Note:**

> Ch. 1 Summary: It's survival 101 - body heat is the best way to keep warm. And skin on skin is the best way to generate that body heat. 
> 
> It is an unusually cold night on a camping trip: Sam and Danny need to heat up if they want to go to sleep and still have toes in the morning. 
> 
> Author's Notes: Because I plan on each chapter being different, I will give each it's own section of tags/warnings/summaries/notes.
> 
> I absolutely love the sensation of skin on skin contact, not even in a sexual way - just as a primal, intimate, platonic form of human connection. It grounds me, and I'd like to think it grounds them too, though honestly I couldn't resist myself and I DID make this turn sexual. Oops (not)
> 
> Absolutely inspired by Luna65 and her lovely work, and everyone else who writes Greta Fiction. I love this community and all that it puts out 
> 
> Author (As known on Various sites): Lady Lover- Rockfic, Luluthechoosingcrow - AO3, theladylovingcrow - Deviantart and Wattpad, @sammy_bluebells - Instagram, @imacrowcawcaw - main Tumblr, @theladylovingcrow - writing/art Tumblr, @insannywestan - Sanny shipping Tumblr
> 
> \------------------

"Get your ass inside, Wagner, stop fucking around before you catch pneumonia, " Sam yelled, voice carrying harsh through the frigid, crackling air. 

Danny huffed out a breath, a cloud of vapor dissipating from his mouth.

"Nearly done, Sam-a," he called, throwing his voice over his shoulder so it would carry towards the tent. "Just need to finish locking away the beer and fishing stuff."

"What, afraid the 'coons are gonna steal our tackle?" Sam snorted.

"No, but the neighbors might. Rowdy Rudy is here again."

"Oh god, not that asshole. When did he even arrive?"

"Right before you got in here," Danny said, finally crawling into the tent after finishing cleaning up and taking his boots off. "You probably didn't notice that monstrosity of a truck pull up in your drunken haze, but I sure did."

"Man, he's so annoying. Always sleazing around looking for alcohol to mooch, or for someone to listen to his god-awful stories." 

Danny nodded in agreement. Rowdy Rudy was rude as hell, crude, lewd, smellier than a drunk skunk and always trying to butt into things in the hopes of getting some free drugs. And, he always seemed to come around about the same time as the boys went camping and disappear right before they noticed all of their missing stuff.

"Also, hey, I'm not completely drunk! I just wanted to stay warm. And get some of that Mullberry wine before Josh gets back and drinks it all," Sam added on, sipping from the bottle.

"Okay, but honestly, who brings *Mullberry wine* on a camping trip?" Danny asked, completely perplexed as to why Josh insisted on it. Wine was not a camping alcohol. 

"I'm not sure, but I don't really care. This stuff is fucking delicious!"

"Okay, well don't drink it all or Joshie will be pissed at you. He seemed to want it for something."

"Like what?" Sam pondered, handing the bottle over so Danny could try it. "Is he trying to woo someone? Who? We're in the middle of the fucking woods!"

"Maybe he's trying to get it on with a tree, he seems to really love them!" Danny cracked. 

Sam laughed. 

"I don't know, but you're right, this is really good."

Sam nodded, taking a final swig of the now mostly empty bottle and setting it aside. Whoops. Well, Josh shouldn't have left it there. 

"Hey, what do you think J and J are doing right now? Can't believe they'd wanna get away from us," Sam said, belching loudly. 

"Well, Joshie is probably trying to photograph the local nightlife," Sam snorted, "and Jake's definitely getting drunk, if he didn't already drain his supply. I wonder how he'll like the hike back when he's got a killer hangover."

Sam unzipped one side of the sleeping bag and scooted over so that Danny could crawl inside. The other pulled it shut again, switching off the battery powered lantern and trying to get comfortable.

"I'm sure he brought enough to drown a small circus, he won't run out. Where did they even go, again?" Sam asked. 

"I've never been there myself, but there's supposed to be a cliff a few miles from here with an amazing view of the valley we passed on the drive up. I'm pretty sure that they took one of the trails starting on the other side of the river, maybe a quarter mile down from where we were today, up to the main road, and then fron there they hiked alongside it until they got to the base of the hill half of the cliff, then they could just climb up it. I heard Joshie talking about it before they left." 

"We should have made them leave a map of where they were going. I know they're both experienced hikers, but I'd hate for them to get stuck or hurt somehow and have us take a long time to get there because we don't know where they are," Sam said.

They both got quiet, slightly worried.

"I think they'll be okay," Danny said after a minute. "Didn't they used to come up here for boyscouts?" 

Sam nodded. Danny could barely see him in the inky darkness, he felt the movement and heard the rustling of the sleeping bag more than saw it.

"Then they know where they are, and Jake said it's not a particularly dangerous hike unless he gets so drunk he falls off the cliff. And you know Josh would never let that happen. We helped them pack their food back at the house, and all of their gear is sound; the only problem I can think of is the chill, but even then if they cuddle they should be fine for one night."

Sam shivered at the mention of the temperature and subtly wormed a bit closer to Danny to try and gain some body heat. Autumnal camping was fun as hell and incredibly beautiful out in the Michigan woods, but it was unusually cold for this time of year. Danny took notice and turned his body a bit closer to Sam as well, sharing some heat from the front though a bit of space remained in between them.

"Dude, what the fuck is up with the weather? I swear it's never gotten this cold this early. I wouldn't be surprised to wake up to some fucking snow tomorrow," Danny said. He tentatively reached out an arm and Sam eagerly got underneath it, snuggling right up to him.

"Climate change. And I hope it doesn't, we could get stuck on the roads, not to mention Jake and Josh would have to hike back in it. I don't think we have the snow tires on yet."

"What kind of Michigonian are you?"

"A stupid one."

Danny smiled, shaking his head and holding onto Sam tightly now. It seemed like, even with the full on cuddles and fleece lined sleeping bag, they couldn't get warm enough.

"Mother*fuck* it is cold. Wanna survival 101 it?" Danny asked.

"Now who's wooing who?" Sam cajoled, but he was *so* down for some skin on skin if it meant he could get warmer. 

Danny unzipped the sleeping bag again and they sat up, shivering as their protective cacoon was removed. They both pulled off their hoodies, leaving Sam in a long sleeved thermal and Danny in his Marley tee. Wiggling around, Danny tried to get his jeans off but it was a serious struggle.

Sam bit his lip and giggled, fumbling under the covers for Danny's hips so he could help them get back in quicker.

Danny stiffened a bit when Sam's cold fingers found his midsection, sliding down until they reached the waistband of his jeans and popped the button.

"Why the hell are you wearing jeans in bed? You better not have gotten any dirt in here," Sam scolded. 

He unzipped Danny, hands brushing over his package and pulling the denim off of his hips. They worked together to rid Danny of his pants, then Danny returned the favor with Sam's sweats. It was unneeded, but neither of them said anything about that. 

"I was cold! And I didn't want to take them off to change," Danny responded after they had enclosed themselves in the bedding again. 

"Well that was stupid. It wouldn't have taken more than half a minute, and you've taken them off now, anyways."

Sam wrapped his arms around Danny's waist and rubbed their legs together, relishing in the warm friction of skin and hair. His hands crept up the back of Danny's shirt, settling in the middle of his back where they could be heated up by skin on one side and fabric on the other.

Danny sighed, burying his cold nose in Sam's bed of hair. He worked one arm under Sam's neck to cradle his head and laid the other on his side, bunching it in the cotton of his shirt and rubbing it back and forth, trying to work some warmth into his freezing fingers.

"This is kinda nice, now," Sam whispered. His lips brushed Danny's throat, and his best friend could feel how soft they were, liberal and frequent applications of chapstick preventing cracking despite the weather.

"Yeah," he agreed, just as quiet.

It was starting to heat up in the sleeping bag, body heat finally taking control in their micro climate of polyester bedding and male pheromones. Sam was honestly in heaven, he hadn't been this warm and comfortable in months. And he was sleeping on the ground in 34 degree weather. 

A wave of exhaustion washed over Danny, the long day finally catching up to him. He snuggled closer to Sam, pressing those bodies together until not even a blade of grass would have been able to come up between them. 

He smirked tiredly when Sam purred like a cat, the reaction to his hand on Sam's side coming to rest underneath his short, gently stroking the skin there. It was soft and fiery warm, finally, Sam's ribs gentle hills across the landscape of his torso. 

Outside the tent, somewhere off to the to the left, across the river, along the road and on top of a hill, the twins were in a similar position. Josh held his warm brother close while they shared Jake's whiskey, sleeping bags propped against a sturdy, incredibly broad tree. 

In the morning, the twins would awake early to a most glorious sunset over the edge of the cliff. Danny and Sam would wake up entwined, warm and well rested. They'd be slow to rise out of their blankets, relishing in a few more minutes of quiet, intimate connection. No words were spoken; none needed; just the mental conversationa of an appreciation of nature, and the extreme luck that allowed them to be together exactly as they were designed to be.

All was at peace with the world. That is, until the boys decided to go fishing and all of their poles were missing, as was Rowdy Rudy's monster truck.


	2. Too Much Sugar Makes the Heart Lovesick

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "There were snowflakes in Sam's lashes, and, it seemed, a few were actually in his eyes. It could have been the shining lights of the skating rink, too, highlighting the absolute joy emanating from Sam's beautiful face. It was then Danny became convinced once and for all that Sam was actually made out of starshine and prayers, sugar and spice, pure love and radiance."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ahh I finished chapter FIVE but couldn't get going on this one for a few days, so my brain is a little scrambled trying to back track from the smut (ch 5 is when some of the smut hits) to this. 
> 
> Thank you to @satans-helper / thelazarus for all the lovely support and feedback, you've really encouraged me to write better 😚
> 
> Also, part of me wants to question why I've been able to write so goddamn much lately, but then my muse might run away and we can't have that. Ah, the mysterious appearances of creativity! 
> 
> \-----------------

Danny observed the scenes around him, taking in the welcoming atmosphere. Rainbow lights were strung up around the square, going from lamppost to tree to lamppost, illuminating the many people out and about enjoying the crisp night air.

Families - urban, attractive and well dressed - strolled along the sidewalks, the small children in winter coats and boots running ahead and laughing until their parents called them back. Danny smiled at their antics as a girl in a tan jacket started a snowball fight with her little brother, flinging soft white clumps at him.

On one side of the square, a skating rink was decorated with shining ornaments and cutouts of various cartoon characters. Skaters, young and old, rushed past the sides; some stumbling and laughing, some calmly holding the hands of a loved one, some racing with reckless abandon. Occasionally, a brave and talented athlete would speed up and do some sort of spin or flip Danny didn't know the name of. He would clap along with the rest of the people. 

Various shops, some closed for the night and some welcoming the nightlife, lined the other sides, attracting people with their colorful displays. One such shop - Maria's Ice Cream Parlor - had a line out the door as the Midwestern crowd lined up to get a cold treat to combat the chill.

Danny felt a little bad that he honestly couldn't remember the name of the town they were in - fast touring and sleeping through info meetings left him a little out of the loop - but he knew he would look crazy if, after all this time, he finally worked up the courage to ask someone around him where he was. He would just wait for Sam to get back with their own ice cream cones and ask him, his buddy always knew where they were and where they wanted to be. 

Jake clapped him on the shoulder, somewhat disrupting Danny's observance of holiday cheer. He peered up at him, wondering what the matter could possibly be. 

"Joshie and I are gonna go head to that bar a few blocks from the hotel and warm up. You guys are welcome to join us, of course, though you seem to be really enjoying yourself."

"I am," Danny said, smiling. The atmosphere was like one out of a Hallmark Christmas card; colorful, happy, everything gleaming with holiday cheer and a warm welcome despite the snow. He didn't want to leave, though of course he would if Sam wanted to.

"Alright, well, you guys have fun, we'll be at the bar or back in our room if you try to find us. Are you gonna skate?"

"I'm thinking so." Danny heard Sam come up behind them, and leaned back into his presence until his upper back was against Sam's stomach. His best friend laid the hand that wasn't holding their ice creams on his chest, holding him to Sam.

"The price isn't bad, and we haven't skated in awhile. Right, hun?"

Danny heard Jake snort, but he payed him no mind; the fluttery sensation in his stomach was much more interesting. Sam only called him pet names - *lovers* pet names - when he was feeling particularly happy. It was going to be a memorable night, he already had that feeling.

"Yeah, we should. What'd you get me? Did they have pistachio?" Danny asked, twisting his head around to look up at Sam.

"They did. Here, take some napkins too, you always get so messy when you eat ice cream cones."

"Hey!" Danny protested, but he was smiling when he took them. "I do not. Besides, it's so cold out the ice cream isn't likely to melt."

Sam shook his head, little brown bun bobbling back and forth. "No, that just means our tongues will get stuck."

Danny rolled his eyes, and stuck his tongue out, touching it to the ice cream cone. 

"Shee? Not shtuck!" He said, keeping his mouth attached to the sweet treat. 

Sam snorted and shook his head again. He came around to Danny's front and pushed at his legs, making him adjust so he could flop down into his lap.

"You just disproved yourself, idiot," Sam said fondly. 

Danny knew a few people were staring at them - cuddling in an outdoor patio chair that was definitely too small and eating ice cream. He didn't care, though, not when Sam was so warm in his lap and giving his ice cream cone cute little kitten licks with his tongue.

"Can I try some of that?"

"Okay," Sam agreed, "but only if I can taste some of yours."

Sam squirmed in his lap, looking at him so pretty and perfect it nearly hurt. Was Sam made of porcelain, or confectioners sugar? It seemed like it sometimes. Danny was convinced that he would be showered in an avalanche of candy hearts if he were to break Sam open. But, he would never let that happen, even if he had to somehow protect Sam from his own self.

Sam held out his Chocolate Raspberry cone to him, letting Danny take a soft bite. A myriad of sensation and flavor burst on his tongue: tart berries, creamy chocolate, a surprise of salty caramel, and a biting cold that melted all too quickly when it met the internal heat of his mouth. The best, though, was something he couldn't really place, but Danny was pretty sure that it was Sam himself.

"See, I told you. There's chocolate all over your face," Sam murmered, moving his food away from Danny's mouth so he could gently dab at it with a napkin. 

He swiped at some of the ice cream on Danny's nose with the paper, and then Danny felt cold fingers running over his lips, collecting the chocolate there. He licked at them on reflex, getting some of the sugar before Sam pulled them away and put them in his own mouth with a coy smile. 

Danny moved his free hand, which had been hanging at his side, to Sam's denim covered thigh, gripping it high up. He felt the shiver that wracked Sam's whole, lithe body when he took a lick of Danny's ice cream. 

"You never dress for the weather. We all know you're cute, but you gotta put on more layers, Sammy." 

Sam rolled his eyes, taking another bite from the pistachio and tangling his left hand in Danny's hair, getting it warm underneath that blanket of black fluff. 

"But you keep me warm, I don't need to wear more. I know you like it." 

Danny blushed, as did Sam, but neither of them broke the eye contact. People were definitely staring now, Danny just noticed, sensing the tension in their own little corner of the square. In fact, Danny wasn't really sure when exactly the twins had left, either, he had been so caught up in Sam. 

"Come on, let's finish these up and go skate a bit before they close the rink," Danny finally said. 

It didn't so much diffuse the tension as give it a different tone, adding a fair dosage of love and fun to the intensity. It was never aggressive, what they had. Danny knew they were soft for each other, caring in a way that they couldn't be with anyone else. 

Danny could admit that he and Sam had been flirting around each other for... years. Always had, though he certainly hadn't realized it way back when they were younger. He just knew that Sammy was his best friend in the world, and that it made him feel almost giddy when Sam smiled at him. 

He still felt that way, a childlike glee running through him whenever Sam turned to him - only him - to tell a joke or ask for a hug. The colder months seemed to be when they got closer; physically, to conduct body heat, and thus spending more time in close, intimate quarters. He distinctly remembered the several night they had spent huddled together in a sleeping bag on their last camping trip; and, even before then, when staying the night at the Kiszka household became an almost weekly, if not daily, occurance of Danny and Sam cuddling in Sam's twin sized bed.

Danny enjoyed nights like this, when Sam cuddled close and let Danny put his hands on him, moved in so they could share the same air and the same space. There was just something so thrilling about being able to hold Sam, see him breathe and move and let himself be wrapped up in Danny. He knew that his reverence and appreciation always showed in his eyes when they lay quietly together - but it was okay, because he could see it in Sam's, too. 

Danny slurped up the ice cream at the bottom of his cone, then took a bite from the top with a quiet *crunch*. Sam finished his, too, holding it out so Danny could take the last bite. 

The cold air immediately assaulted his legs when Sam got up, holding out a hand to pull Danny with him. Danny took it, linking their fingers together and putting then in his pocket so that they could warm up a bit. Sam never wore gloves; Danny knew it was so he could get someone else to warm him. It was nearly always Danny.

They made their way over to the counter of the skating rink, past all the other couples eating ice cream and the young friends running after each other. Were they a couple? Nearly, probably. All Danny knew was that he had Sam, and Sam had him, and they were not going to let go for anything. 

"Two pairs of skates, please. Men's thirteen and eleven," Sam said to the lady at the counter, raising his voice to be heard over the rush of metal on ice and chattering laughter. 

They each grabbed their ice skates, walking over to a bench to put them on. Danny keenly felt the loss of Sam's slim hand in his; Sam smiled at him like he felt the same. 

He held his shoes by the laces, socked feet freezing on the cold ground, but he didn't notice. Sam had his lip held in between his teeth, reminding Danny of a strawberry macaroon: pink - white (perfect white) - pink. There was a furrow in Sam's brows, one of concentration as he unlaced his hiking boots to put on the skates. Danny wanted to smooth it out, run his thumb along the ridges of Sam's delicate bone structure and kiss his head. 

By the time he snapped back to reality, Sam had already put his shoes in one of the little lockers and came back to Danny, waving his hands in his face to get his attention.

"Hey, are you feeling okay? You seem a bit out of it," Sam asked, looking at him in concern. 

Danny grinned up at Sam, taking both of his hands in his own. "I'm great, Sam-a. Just really enjoying the night, it's beautiful out here."

Sam pulled him up, keeping one set of hands interlaced as they carefully hobbled over to the rink and stepped out onto the ice. 

"It is lovely. I like the lights, it's like we're back in Frankenmuth," Sam said.

Danny nodded in agreement. In truth, the most beautiful thing in the scene was Sam - but he'd get called a sap if he said that aloud. 

They skated along, utilizing the skills they had learned growing up in Michigan to avoid teetering children and successfully turn around corners. 

At one point, the DJ changed the music to an older Christmas selection, indicating the departure of most of the families with small children. They moved along to Bing Crosby, Frank Sinatra, Eartha Kitt, and all the good classics.

When "I Was The One" came on, Sam's face lit up like he was one of the sweet angels perched on the Christmas tree in the center of the square. 

Danny let Sam guide them to a slow stop near the east side of the rink, and throw an arm around his neck. They swayed slowly to Elvis, holding to each other tightly to avoid losing balance and grinning like lunatics. 

~ And then one day  
I had my love as perfect as could be  
She lived, she loved, she laughed, she cried,  
And it was all for me ~

Danny looked at Sam as the danced and sang together, harmonizing their voices like Josh had taught them. His breath caught at the end of the last line: the sight before him would be held like precious glass in his memory forever.

There were snowflakes in Sam's lashes, and, it seemed, a few were actually in his eyes. It could have been the shining lights of the skating rink, too, highlighting the absolute joy emanating from Sam's beautiful face. It was then Danny became convinced once and for all that Sam was actually made out of starshine and prayers, sugar and spice, pure love and radiance. 

Sam was beaming at him, positively glowing with affection and happiness. Danny felt his chest beat hard and the air rush out of him in a white cloud. 

Their heads moved closer together, the magnetic draw between them undeniable. Sam rested his forehead against Danny, eyes closed, squeezing his hand. 

Danny wished he could draw Sam closer, tighten the arm sitting low around his waist, but they were still on ice skates. He settled for relishing in the feel of Sam's sweet breath against his lips and their hands locked together; almost as intertwined as their heart strings. 

Danny kept swaying when the next song came on, not willing to let go of Sam. They stayed in their corner of the ice, no longer moving about like the more skilled couples who could actually dance on their skates. 

A breeze swept past, carrying a few stray snowflakes from the grey clouds and a cider-scented chill. They danced and skated for nearly an hour, until the rink closed down for the night. They exited stumbling, laughing and still clinging to each other.

Sam sighed happily, nudging Danny's shoulder as they walked down the lit up streets back to their hotel.

Danny took their still linked hands and put them back in his pocket, making Sam pull closer to him as they walked. Sam grinned at him; a small, private smile that was able to encompass the whole night in one toothy quirk of pink lips. 

When they passed the bar the twins had gone into, Danny could hear singing coming from inside. Sounded like Jake finally got drunk enough for Josh to convince him to do a karaoke duet like he always wanted. Danny was a little disappointed that he couldn't witness what was surely a glorious moment - an excellent black mail oppurtunity - but he wasn't going to end his night with Sam so easily. 

As soon as they got into the elevator, Sam slumped against him. Danny was also exhausted after all the skating; sugar and adrenaline wearing off and leaving them candy shells without any energy left inside. 

They made their slow way down the hall to their shared room, a shaking hand and fuzzy eyes making Danny take several tries to unlock it. He felt almost drunk, the kind of bone deep tired that only resulted from an exhilarating day continued well into the night. 

Sam shuffled towards the bathroom, shedding slightly damp clothes in his wake. He ran the tap into one of the paper cups on the counter, taking a sip and turning around to give some to Danny, who had followed him. 

Danny finished the water and set it aside. He put his arms around Sam, swaying them like they where back on the ice rink. Sam buried his face in Danny's neck, both hands curled around his shoulders from the back, and moved with him. 

"That was honestly the best night I've ever had," Sam said, laughing into his shoulder. 

Danny smiled, taking his hair out of the bun and stroking it. 

"Agreed, that was fun. We should go out like that more often."

"Are you telling me we should go on more dates?" Sam asked, lifting his to raise his brow at Danny in his signature 'really?' face. 

That was a date? That.... that was a date. Danny decided that he did want to go on more "dates" with Sam as long as they were like this one.

"Yeah, we should. And I am. I like spending time with you, Sammy," Danny whispered, looking his best friend in the eyes. Even in the harsh bathroom light, Sam was beautiful. 

"I do too," Sam whispered back. "You can take me out as often as you want, but you have to pay for the ice cream sometimes." 

"Of course."

They stuck together, dancing their way clumsily back to the bed, Sam giggling the entire time. He flopped back onto the king, kicking a foot up into he air and looking expectant. Danny shook his head fondly but complied in taking Sam's shows off, tossing the boots near the closet. 

He sat down on the bed to take his own shoes off, Sam's hand running up and down his back when he bent over to untie them. Danny laid back, Sam's arm still on his back so now he was the one being held. 

Sam rolled them over a bit, so that he was lying on top of Danny. He swore he was going to get up in just a minute to finish getting undressed and get under the covers, but Danny just couldn't make himself push Sam off of him. They fell asleep like that, cuddled on top of the blankets, too asleep to notice the twins - loudly, drunkenly - check on them.


	3. Sign Here For A Lifetime Supply of Love

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "A bird whistled, and Danny mimicked the sound, making Sam look at him with what could only be described as dripping affection. It ran down their bodies, flowing over the knot of their hands and falling in small splashes along the path as they walked, leaving a trail of love like Hansel and Gretel. They came to the waterfall, and Danny turned his head to face Sam, love clear in his eyes. His lids fluttered shut and his lips puckered as he leaned in for a kiss, gathering Sam closer to him."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> My lovely dear @satans-helper , I am SO grateful that you take the time out of your day to go over my writing to give me all of the wonderful feedback that you do. It really does improve it a lot, and, of course, your reactions and encouragement make me feel so warm inside. 
> 
> @rogers-wristband (tumblr) you said they go swimming, I say yes! I hope you like this, thank you so much for the suggestion :) 
> 
> Inspired in part by @satans-helper / thelazarus 's No One Else (ah-mazing), then of course it took another direction because I don't be about that copying. Also, they just belong in nature. Happy hippy boys are lover boys

"Just keep swimming, just keep swimming, just keep swimming, swimming, swimming. *What do I do? I swim, I love to swiiiimmmm!*"

"DANNY. If you don't- fuck, pleugh!" Sam paused, choking on water. "If you don't fucking stop I will drown you!" 

"But you have to keep swimming, Sammy! *You're* gonna drown if you don't. Unless you want me to carry you?" Danny asked. He was in a ridiculously good mood, and, being so energetic and happy to be in the water, had forgotten that Sam wasn't quite as strong as he was, nor did he possess as much stamina. His best friend was, frankly, exhausted. 

"No! This was my idea, I don't need you to carry me!"

And Sam was a little testy, too. As much as he loved seeing Danny's muscles working in the water - or, better yet, feel them pick him up like he weighed nothing - the fact that Danny was just so fast and wouldn't slow down for Sam had him on edge. He'd been chasing tail for an hour, but it kept running away!

"Just, slow down a bit!"

"Okay, okay, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to tire you out so much, I was just having fun."

"It's alright," Sam sighed, now calmed down in the cradle of Danny's thick arms. "I'm glad you're enjoying myself, just let me have some fun too." 

"Oh? What kind of fun do you want to have?" Danny questioned, slowly moving them closer to the shallows of the lake. 

"I want to go hike up to the waterfall, but, later. Right now, I just want to float while you hold me."

"We can do that," Danny said softly. He anchored his feet in the sand bank, letting Sam rest his head on his shoulder in the neck deep water. Their arms were wound around each other, Sam's legs floating up to the left as Danny held onto him. 

Nature immersed them in her soundtrack: birds twittering, leaves rustling, insects humming, and the breeze lapping gentle waves onto the shore. All was at peace, with the world and in their hearts. 

Sam's eyelashes fluttered, his eyes closed to face the warm August sunshine. Danny watched him, observing the slight shadows playing over his face as a cloud passed overhead. Sam's lips parted, and Danny was nearly certain that he was going to start snoring - he hadn't moved in nearly 20 minutes - when Sam spoke. 

"Is this what heaven feels like?"

Danny hummed. "I don't know, Sammy. No one knows what heaven will be like, if there is one at all, until we get there."

"I hope we go together," Sam said, sitting up slightly in the water. Danny caught him when the movement nearly pitched him under, grabbing the silky skin over Sam's ribs with his hands to steady him. 

"I don't want to live without you, but I don't want to be dead without you, either. It wouldn't be heaven if you weren't there," Sam continued. 

"I'll be there," Danny promised, pressing their foreheads together. He didn't know what that would entail, or when it would happen, but he and Sam were going out together, he knew it in his soul like he knew Sam was his soul-mate. 

"We just made a death pact," Sam giggled, switching from somber to giggly Sammy like that. It always amazed Danny how quickly Sam could process and move on, his genius brain working at twice the speed of anyone around them, it seemed. And yet, Sam never left him behind, never made him feel left out; quite the opposite, Danny was often at the center of Sam's world, a warm fact he'd come to accept after hearing it so many times from Sam's mouth itself. 

"Should we kiss on it?" Danny asked, laughing, too. "You know, to seal the deal?" 

"Protect the pact from attack?"

"Give our engagement a worthwhile entanglement?"

"Save the loot from the boot?"

"Okay, that last one didn't make any sense!" 

"Well, neither did yours!" Sam retorted. "'Give our engagement a worthwhile entanglement'? What the heck does that even mean?" 

"It means we're gonna kiss to finalize the agreement, silly!"

Sam's mouth was a pretty little 'O'. Danny leaned in and gave it the barest of pecks, pulling back quickly and flushing dull red in the sunlight. 

"Oh, c'mon! That wasn't a kiss! Where's my entanglement?" Sam laughed, surprise knocked out of him. 

"Well, if you say so..." Danny trailed off, moving in close again. 

"I do," Sam breathed against his lips, both hands holding Danny's head steady. 

Danny had one hand on the small of his back, pressing Sam into himself, and the other gripping his right thigh, hoisting Sam up effortlessly in the water to wrap his legs around him. 

Sam's lower lip made contact with Danny's as he jumped up, both of them freezing at the extensive contact of cool, moist skin below the water and still warm mouths above it. 

Their lips slid, Sam to the left and Danny to the right, until they were locked in a sweet embrace. Slick warmth, comfort, and faintly barbeque flavored saliva was passed between them as they slowly kissed; no tongue, but soft, wet, open mouth presses that left no doubt in either's mind the strength of the bond they had curated over a lifetime, til death do them part. 

"This is, like, one of those memorable scrapbook moments, ya know?" Sam said, pulling back after a minute. "Our first kiss in our favorite lake, just the two of us out on a perfect day."

Danny quirked his brow. "This isn't our first kiss, dude," he huffed, though he was amused. 

"What? Yes it is. I'd have remembered if we kissed before, I'm pretty fucking sure." 

"Don't you remember that one time you went to kiss my cheek and you planted one right on me?" 

"That doesn't count! It's gotta be intentional, this was our first kiss with *intention*."

"Okay, okay, sure."

Sam splashed a little bit of water at him, getting the clear droplets in Danny's hair. Danny yanked - gently - on Sam's own tresses, nearly pulling his head backwards underwater but letting up early enough to make it clear he was joking. 

"So, how was your first kiss with a guy?" Sam asked, grinning. 

"This wasn't my first kiss with a guy."

"Again, I call bullshit! You've never kissed a guy, I know this for a fact."

"Uh, hello? Do you not remember when Josh tried to make out with me at that New Years party?"

"Also doesn't count," Sam snorted. "He was macking on everybody, hell, he even kissed Jake out in the open after he had all those shots. And, key word 'trying'. You pushed him away before your lips really touched."

"When did you become such an expert on kissing?" Danny asked, amused. 

Sam brought their heads together again, like he was telling a little secret. He stroked Danny's face and whispered in his ear, "Puberty."

They both cracked up, clinging to each other in the water. Despite having just made out for the first time - and having that rock their world so much it made them sane - nothing was going to stop Sam and Danny from being Sam and Danny, resident-best-friend-goofballs. 

Sam kept snickering, still sitting on Danny's canted hips with arms wrapped around each other. He wiggled in surprise when Danny put a hand on his ass, squeezing it through the thin fabric of his mini shorts. 

"I think we should do the hike naked."

"I think that's a great way to get a bug bite on your dick. When we get to the waterfall, though, we can go skinny dipping."

"Then what are we waiting for?" Danny asked, turning and running to the shore as swiftly as the water would allow him with Sam still in his arms, his former hyperactiveness renewed. 

Sam jumped down before he could be tossed onto the sand by Danny's over-eager legs tripping up. He rung out what water he could from his hair, putting it up in a bun and them helping Danny gather his own at the back of his head. He stooped down to pick up his bag and sunglasses, thwarting the anticipated ass smack with a sudden somersault. 

Danny stared down at Sam lying on the sand, arm still raised in the air where Sam's ass had been moments ago. He raised a brow in slight apology, helping Sam get back up with an offered hand. 

"Sorry, I didn't think you'd object so much."

"What, now that we've kissed once you think you have free reign to treat me like your bitch?" Sam asked, though he was obviously teasing. 

"No, I would never. You've never minded before, though."

"Well, things have changed, haven't they?"

"I'm not sure."

It didn't feel like it. They were still themselves, and not looking any different to the other; perhaps only their eyes were now open to more ways to mess around with each other. 

"I can't believe we kissed. Like, we were actually making out for a whole minute!" Sam said, a little awed. He had been, perhaps, covering for his shock with some extra sassiness. 

"I know, me either," Danny breathed. 

They both gaped and giggled like loons, not sure what to make of that reality. Like Sam had said, it was definitely memorable. 

"Alright, let's get going before it gets too chilly to swim again."

Sam nodded and fell into step next to Danny, heading towards the North-bound trail to the waterfall that fed into the lake. Their wet feet were coated in the sand, dirt, and mud, making the brown of their Birkenstocks even browner. 

Danny caught Sam's hand, swinging it as they made their way through the trees, leaves obscuring the lake except for occasional shimmering glimpses. 

A bird whistled, and Danny mimicked the sound, making Sam look at him with what could only be described as dripping affection. It ran down their bodies, flowing over the knot of their hands and falling in small splashes along the path as they walked, leaving a trail of love like Hansel and Gretel. 

They had to unlace their fingers to climb up the boulder at the end of the journey, using all four hands, and feet, too, to boost themselves up and over it. On the other side, roaring loud enough to drown out the birdsong that Danny had joined in on, was the waterfall. 

Sam immediately ran down the shining, wet rock towards the river's edge, Danny following along more cautiously behind him, finding a spot to set their stuff down. First the bags went, then the shoes, and finally the swim trunks were pulled down and they were bared to the world. 

Turning to grin at him, Sam stood in all his glowing, glorious nudity, backed by the mists of the waterfall behind him. Danny stepped forward, catching him around the waist. 

Sam's lashes fluttered, his mouth pouting and seeming to draw Danny in. His hands landed on Danny's strong shoulders, feeling the hot shift of muscle beneath as Danny brought them close. 

The fronts of their thighs were touching, spreading an electricity made even more volatile by the water still dotting their skin. Sam leaned forward, putting them belly to belly, chest to chest, groin to groin. 

"Do you want me to carry you, now?" Danny murmered, dark eyes locked right below Sam's clavicle, as if he could actually see his beating heart. He had a crazed need, sometimes, to just hold Sam, to lift him up and away from others so that he could be all Danny's; Sam never minded.

Sam didn't respond, simply walked himself backwards slowly, carefully, with Danny following along, to the edge of the rock. The boulder was a cracked off part of the cliffside that the water ran over, raised higher as if it was nature's intention to be the diving rock all teenagers saw it as. 

They locked eyes, counted to three, and jumped together into the deepest pocket of the water. Danny surfaced, gasping a little at the shock of ice melt cold - even though it was August - and Sam came up a second later. They swam with fierce, determined kicks towards the pebbled shore further on from the boulder, fighting hard against the sucking current from the waterfall. 

"Whew, man, I always forget how cold it is up here." 

Sam nodded, immediately wrapping himself around Danny in the shin deep water and holding to him - and his body heat - tight. Danny grabbed him right back, sitting on the rocks with Sam in between his legs, both lying halfway in the stream. 

"I'm always worried that we'll be too shocked with how cold it is to swim well enough and fast enough to get back to shore," Sam said, a shiver racking his body to make his point.

"But we always do, and I'd never leave you behind. C'mon, let's see if there's any crawfish."

"What?" Sam laughed, getting up and wading back into the river. "Why do you want crawfish? We literally just had lunch like two hours ago, and besides, there's no pot or seasonings to cook them in even if we do start a fire."

"I don't want to eat them, I just wanna see if they're still here. Do you remember when we came up - I think it was ninth grade - and we all spent hours diving for our dinner? That was so fun!" 

"Oh, yeah! And Jake got pinched in the nips cause he was messing around with one of them!"

"I'll pinch your nips!" Danny yelled, grabbing Sam and rolling them deeper into the water. He made pinchy fingers at Sam's chest, grazing his nipples and making him laugh at the ticklish sensation.

"Yeah, well, I'll mess around with YOU!" Sam retorted, cackling like a stoned hyena. He really did have a funny laugh, Danny knew, but it seemed to make him even more awesome: the fact that he was so perfect, and yet still human. 

Sam flung his arms around Danny's neck, letting himself be carried in the water once again. They came to standing on one of the shallower rock banks in the middle of the stream, watching the waters rush over the boulders and tumble down below into the next stretch of river. 

Danny turned his head to face Sam, love clear in his eyes. His lids fluttered shut and his lips puckered as he leaned in for a kiss, gathering Sam closer to him. 

Sam was ready to recieve it when, suddenly, those eyes bulged open, black and beady. The hands on Sam's back felt sharper, all made of nail and bone. 

"Sam. SAM!"

He stirred, still futilely trying to push away the creature that had taken over his love. 

"Sammy, c'mon baby. It's alright, I'm not trying to hurt you. It's just me! Sam, wake up!" 

Opening his eyes, Sam saw Danny - regular, hazel eyed Danny with his large, soft hands holding his face - next to him, looking both concerned and amused. 

Danny smiled at him, softly stroking over his hair. "Hey, you were having a nightmare, something about lobsters. Is everything alright?" 

Sam breathed a sigh of relief he hadn't realized he'd been holding, chuckling tiredly at the end. 

"Yeah, yeah I'm okay. Man, that was such a weird dream! You ever have those ones where it's, like, exactly what you did the day before, except one or two things are off and you don't even notice it at first?"

Danny nodded, looking at him intently, curious to hear more. 

"Well, it was basically what we did yesterday: we were swimming in the lake, I got super tired chasing you so you held me, we hiked up to the waterfall, and then we swam there, too. The thing was, we kissed! Like, we were making out in the middle of the fucking lake, and at the river, too!"

"Woah, really?" Danny laughed. "How was it?"

"Pretty good," Sam admitted, blushing but looking Danny straight in the eyes. They had stopped hiding that affection what felt like eons ago, though really the shift had been gradual.

"So that explains the wood poking me," Sam smacked Danny's shoulder gently, though he couldn't deny that he was hard after his bout of Danny-kissing-REM. "But, what about the lobsters? Why were you scared, you love lobster! Were they trying to get back at you for eating them?" Danny giggled. 

"They'll never get me, I'm higher up on the food chain! And it was crawfish, not lobsters: You turned into a crabby-monster thing and tried to eat my face." Danny chuckled, snuggling up to Sam as they swayed gently in the breeze blown hammock.

"Was this after I had sucked your face?" 

"Yeah, the second time- wait, no, we actually only kissed in the lake, then you were about to go for it again when you went all rock lobster on me. I guess it kinda changed our conversations too, though, because we kept talking about it. I wonder why that suddenly turned into a bad dream, I was really enjoying it."

"Yeah?"

"Yeah, it was nice. It was when you were holding me in the water, and we made that pact. Except, in my dream, we did actually kiss on it, and then almost again at the waterfall. But, other than that stuff, I guess it was pretty much the same."

"Interesting. Did we still hold hands, and jump in together, and all that?" Danny asked. Sam knew it was really the 'Were we flirting like we really do make out?' that Danny was too scared to outright ask.

"Yep, it actually kinda made more sense in the context of the dream. Like, we haven't kissed yet after all this time!"

Danny nodded, looking contemplative. He inched his head closer and planted a peck on Sam's forehead, then his temple, moving along the trail of his cheekbone to his nose and down around to his jaw again. 

Sam put more pressure on the hand on Danny's chest, feeling on either side of it where their bare skin rubbed on each other. He felt Danny's heart beat in tandem with his own, pumping the same flow of life through both of them - no matter their parentage. 

They laid there wrapped up in the hammock on the front deck of the lake house they rented every summer, enjoying the lazy day. He closed his eyes again, relaxing now that Danny was holding him and protecting him. 

Sam smiled when he felt another kiss being planted on his cheek, just an inch shy of his mouth. He turned and rubbed his nose against Danny's stubble, murmuring something about waterfalls that Danny couldn't quite decipher. 

They let the gentle motion of the wind funneled through the mountain valleys rock them back to sleep, snoring together in the afternoon sunlight. Whether in sleep or death or and waking, their love bound them together. Nothing could ever separate them; them they were one eternal being. All that was left was an intentional kiss to seal the deal.


	4. Hold Onto Me As We Plunge Off This Steep Cliff

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "Sam slowly started touching himself again. Danny's head flopped back down and he squirmed even closer, somehow, and let out a small noise of content. He felt as if he'd float away if Danny wasn't anchoring him to the reality of their bed by bodily holding him; the weight of his arm as well as his love used to pin him down."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi! Sorry, this took the backseat for awhile - and I'm a little unsure of the premise of the story as a whole - but I have the newest chapter here. Getting a little smuttier! Hope everyone likes it
> 
> I am so thankful to know the wonderful lady that is @satans-helper / thelazarus, and I am SO glad that she helped me out with all of her wonderful comments and suggestions :)

Danny moaned and sighed something inaudible, rolling over onto his stomach and closer to Sam so that, now, their sides touched. He threw his arm around Sam's waist, pulling himself closer and burying his face in Sam's shoulder.

Sam stiffened, cold washing through his body despite the physical heat of having Danny draped over him. The hand around his dick stilled. 

Danny sighed again, shaking his head. Was he going to scold Sam? Tell him he was disgusting for doing that in bed next to him? Or maybe he wouldn't say anything at all, just let an awkward air permeate their interactions from that point forward. Sam wasn't sure which would be more shameful.

"Go ahead."

Danny's voice was already soft and sleep rough. His face being buried into Sam's body, and the pillow, further distorted it. 

"You can go ahead, Sam. It's okay," he repeated, lifting his head just enough to be understandable.

Sam slowly started touching himself again. Danny's head flopped back down and he squirmed even closer, somehow, and let out a small noise of content. 

He wasn't going to question why this was happening. He wasn't even sure why'd he'd started jerking off in the first place - his dick hadn't been hard and there wasn't anything particular in his brain that was begging to be released through an endorphin rush.

Just Danny, warm and solid, making the mattress dip under his weight so that Sam was gravitationally pulled towards him. He was already intellectually, emotionally as close to Danny as he could get, but the physical almost contact was thrilling in a warm, quiet humming sort of way.

His best friend's presence made Sam feel relaxed and safe, as if there was a force field separating them from the rest of the world when they stood together. Or laid. Sam knew that, no matter what he did, Danny would have his back, as well as watch his front.

And Sam had been watching Danny's front. His chest was rising and falling slowly, slower, NREM 1 almost reached and then pulled away from when a passing car stories below honked, or Sam himself fidgeted on the bed. Moonlight shone through the blinds, illuminating Danny's face.

He looked like an angel, Sam thought, whenever something outside created an influx of light inside their little nest. His long eyelashes were wings, his lips clouds; a being of heavenly music sent from above to better the lives of those who needed his aid. Danny was Sam's guardian angel. He was safe with him. 

Sam kept a close eye on his face, at first. The first minute, Danny was looking at his phone, replying to a text before setting it aside. The next five, as they lay there in quiet darkness after muttering a sweet goodnight, facing each other, Danny's eyelids drooped and fluttered, each resting period growing longer than the last. His eyes finally seemed to close for good when Sam decided to go for it.

He rolled onto his back and eased a hand down underneath the covers, using his elbow to move the blankets back a bit and give himself some room to work. Sam then rubbed his fingers over his abdomen, scratching over his happy trail and picking at the band of his underwear. 

Sam stroked himself, literally: he used two fingers to gently touch himself, running them up and down the side of his length and feeling the velvety soft skin. His fingertips were rough, the skin nearly concrete in comparison to his cock. 

He knew Danny had less calluses on his fingertips than him, but more on his palms - he'd felt them the countless times that Danny had laid one of his huge, warm, gentle hands on his body. 

Sam's eyes slipped closed without him noticing, his own hand bringing him pleasure that didn't amount to what he experienced when locked in with Danny's beat, but still good.

He didn't think of girls - or anybody for that matter. Sam just focused on the sensation of his hand, moved it to the rhythm of Danny's soft breaths. He relaxed further into the bed even as his nerves pulsed and thickened; his head lolled to the side, back arched, legs spreading wider and lungs slowing to try and regulate his breathing.

Then Danny moved. 

The roll took him by surprise - Danny tended to be a sound, still sleeper, while Sam was hyperactive even when half unconscious. The arm being thrown over his torso and the warm, barely stubbly face settling onto his bare shoulder, forehead pressed against Sam's own, was both terrifying and exhilarating. 

Danny told him to go ahead.

It wasn't what normal best friends did. 

They weren't normal. 

Rockstars could be given some leeway, Sam figured. Besides, he and Danny had always been in their own field, even when they were still living "normal" lives.

Warmth from Danny's heavy arm was pressed down into him, spreading from that spot on his belly to down into his groin, deep, flowing through his system and circulating with all of the rest of the blood being pumped through his dick. Having Danny there with him, on him, was comforting. 

Sam was confused, but it didn't really matter. 

He was a twenty year old guy, he didn't need to be held when he jerked off. It was a healthy, regular function that he wasn't ashamed of, and it had never made him anxious before - except for the one time his dad had accidentally walked in on him, and even then they laughed it off. 

Being upset or nervous wasn't what was causing the weird feelings in his stomach - both the increased arousal and the sudden wave of calmness and safety blanketing him. His breath caught at the thought of it being the hard, hot body lying next to him. 

But, he had to admit, having Danny there with him was bringing a whole nother level to the game that was seriously going to up his standards from now on. Who knew that masturbating could be this intense, this pleasurable, this passionate? 

Sam thought he understood, now. When you were near someone you loved and trusted with yourself completely, then you could let yourself open up all the way - to the full spectrum of pleasure, pain, and human connection. Sam had never in his life clicked with someone so immediately as he had with Danny, and he knew he never would again. As time had gone on from that fatal meeting point, they had become closer than was probably humanly possible.

Sam bucked his hips, rubbing his skin up into Danny. Skin on skin; connected; cells of themselves being transferred to the other. Danny pressed his arm down harder, forcing Sam to hold still and feel him there. His large hand found Sam's hip, squeezing it, thumb brushing over his sharp bones, fingers pushing into Sam's back and holding on. Exactly how much of himself could Danny hold onto with those hands, Sam wondered.

Thoughts flitted around Sam's head, now, but they all centered on Danny. His best friend, his brother, his keeper and his playmate. Hands, strong arms, warm eyes, the mouth next to his that released a silent 'I love you' with every breath.

The long drawn honking of a car horn nearly drowned out Sam's low pitched groan. Danny heard it anyways, or at least Sam thought he did. The other hadn't moved again, but there was a certain color to the atmosphere, and a weirdly pleasant curling in Sam's gut, that told him Danny was still aware of what was happening. 

Sam gasped, waves of pleasure coming to a heated crescendo as he writhed in Danny's embrace. He felt as if he'd float away if Danny wasn't anchoring him to the reality of their bed by bodily holding him; the weight of his arm as well as his love used to pin him down.

Some of his cum had gotten on Danny, Sam knew intrinsically. He gathered up what he could from his dick and abdomen, then, gingerly, swiped his pinky over Danny's forearm to clean the white trails off of him. 

He brought the glob up to his mouth, tasting salty comfort and musty love. Danny's essence, by mere fact of his presence, had seeped into his body and exited it again through his dick, flavoring Sam's release and making it sweeter than ever before. Sam wanted it to always taste like this. 

He wondered, not consciously directing the thought but not pushing it away, either, what Danny's cum itself would taste of. Like his musk personified and mixed with brown sugar, Sam figured. 

Suddenly, Danny kissed his shoulder, then his neck; soft, slightly damp, and laced with affection. He dragged his lips down Sam's shoulder, leaving a tingling, wet trail in his wake. 

Sam turned his head back to facing Danny again - he wasn't sure when exactly he had moved it during the throes of passion, though it didn't matter - and pressed their foreheads together. 

Danny rubbed their noses together in a puppy kiss, making Sam silently giggle. He felt delirious with dopamine, ready to go and conquer the world with Danny at his side. Hopefully, they would. 

Sam could feel Danny's fluffy hair tickling him, both of their masses of hair surrounding their heads in a poofed out halo. The tickling of Danny's eyelashes fluttered lightly against his, sweat mixing on their connected hairlines and mouths brushing cheeks. Danny still had a firm grip on his hip, slowly and deeply massaging the muscles in Sam's lower back. 

He laid his hand, now sans-ejaculation, on Danny's thick forearm, holding it to himself like it was the only thing tethering him to Earth anymore. When the days were long and the work was hard, sometimes it was.

Danny breathed heavy against his neck, nose worming through his hair to bump against his ear. 

"Sleep, Sammy. I'll hold onto you."

Forever, Sam knew. They would never let go of each other. He rolled over again, pushing his back into Danny and keeping the other's arm close about his waist. 

A final kiss was pressed into the crook of Sam's neck, Danny mouthing something Sam couldn't discern. He'd figure it out eventually - he already had an inkling of what it was. 

His mind was a myriad of rainbow streams, all flowing in different directions, but ultimately waterfalling over the cliff of his consciousness to his heart. Danny was holding him so reverently, was kissing his body and pressing their heads together as if he could meld them into one - it was a better reality than any dream.

Sam wiggled further into Danny's embrace, searching. All this, and yet- 

A hand, one of the ones he so admired, pressed against Sam's chest, stilling him. It read: 'Not now, not tonight. It's okay, Sammy, just sleep with me.' 

Sam sighed in acquiescence, too comfortable to want Danny to move anyways. He gave his hips one little grind backwards anyways, just because he could, mentally laughing when Danny adjusted his legs so that he could push a thigh in between Sam's two.

Their feet got tangled in the same little wad of sheets, the blankets pulled up a bit more to cover their shoulders, though Sam knew a certain someone would kick them all off in a few hours. Danny moved his arm; Sam protested by pulling it back onto him. 

Moving his arm again, Danny chuckled and found Sam's hand, interlacing their fingers. 

Oh, Sam thought. Oh. Not leaving him. It should be common knowledge to him by now, as innate as the music was. Danny would hold onto him forever.


End file.
